Canada’s mining and minerals industry is important to communities across the country. Developing this industry in more responsible ways reduces our environmental impacts and creates jobs. This will be more important than ever as we reopen the economy and plan our recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

Élisabeth Brière, Member of Parliament for Sherbrooke and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of over $4.5 million for E2Metrix Inc. to help mining operations recycle wastewater and operate in a more sustainable way. Headquartered in Sherbrooke, Quebec, E2metrix Inc. specializes in the treatments for various forms of wastewater.

Wastewater for mining operations can often contain harmful pollutants and toxic chemicals. E2metrix’s innovative ECOTHOR^TM technology will clean and separate contaminants, like ammonia and heavy metals, from the wastewater. The process is a more effective, energy-efficient and affordable way to reuse and recycle wastewater from mining operations. It will help companies improve water efficiency and reduce their mining operation’s impact on fresh water.

The project is funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program, which invests in clean technology research and development projects in Canada’s energy, mining and forest sectors. The program is a $155-million investment fund that helps natural resource sectors and innovators come together to accelerate the development of clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas and air polluting emissions while minimizing landscape disturbances and improving waste management practices.

Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program also provided E2metrix Inc. with the capacity to collaborate with CanmetMINING on the engineering support and testing of pilot-scale technology. An additional $575,000 investment was made possible through the Program’s Science and Technology Assistance for Cleantech (STAC) initiative, which provides federal laboratory support for innovators to bring clean technologies to market by providing federal research expertise, facilities and equipment.

The government is committed to supporting a climate action plan that incorporates green and innovative projects in the mining sector to grow our economy and reduce pollution.